Mortician&#39;s clamp



May 7, 1940. o. E. DAVIS MORTICIANS CLAMP Filed Jan. 30, 1939 654 //v 5.flA v/s VENTOR.

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Patented May 7, 1940 l. STATES PATENT OFFICE MORTICIANS CLAMZP Olin E.Davis, Whittier, Calif.

Application January 30, 1939, Serial .No. 253,615

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for a mortician to use in holding inplace the feet and limbs of a corpse upon his table during an embalmingoperation.

It is an object of the invention to provide an exceedingly simple deviceof this character which can readily be adjusted without the use oftools, to fit against and elevate the lower limbs and feet of thedeceased whether it be a person of small stature, an adult of usualdevelopment, or a child.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterstated which can be removably mounted upon the top of a morticians tablein a secure manner, without the use of screws, or of any other attachingmeans which would mar the table, but will nevertheless stay dependablyin place while in use.

Further objects relate to extreme simplicity of construction, toconformity of the clamping elements to the contour of the limbs of thecorpse, to extreme case of adjustment, and to lowered cost ofmanufacture.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafterappear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates what is atpresent deemed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the device showing the same mounted inits operative position upon a morticians table.

Fig. 2 is a sectional detail taken longitudinally through the shaftWhereon the clamping elements are adjustably mounted. I 1

Referring in detail to the drawing, in Fig. 1 the device is shownmounted upon a morticians table H), to which it is removably secured bymeans of the feet furnished with vacuum cups I I with which its endstandards 12 are provided. By means of said standards I2, a hollowcylindrical rod i3 is supported by its end portions in a horizontal.manner and in an upwardly spaced relation to the table I0.

Upon said rod I3 is adjustably mounted a pair of clamping members l5which have longitudinally concave faces it that are directed toward eachother. By preference and as shown said clamping members are identical inconstruction, each of them consisting of an elongated plate, uniformlyconcave on its inner side and having through one end portion a circularaperture H the diameter of which is somewhat greater than the diameterof the shaft i3 thus affording a clearance I8 between the inner edge ofsuch aperture and the exterior of the shaft 13, as shown in Fig. 1.

The clamps I6 may be varied considerably in shape. withoutdeparting fromthe claimed invention, but as shown in the drawing their side faces areeach shaped as a rather slender ovoid, the aperture ll being located inthe large end of the ovoid. The purpose of forming the apertures fllarger in diameter than the diameter of the rod I3 is to cause theadjusted plates to tilt to a gripping position on the rod and therebyprocure a clamping effect when the clamp members are each abuttedagainst the outer sides of the legs of a corpse adjacent the feet in afirm manner so that the reaction of the pressure of the legs upon theinner faces of the clamps tilts them away from each other and therebycauses the edge portions of the apertured parts of the clamps to bitedown upon the rod and prevent them from slipping farther apart. It willbe understood that at the places where the apertures are located in theclamps the clamping plates will be provided at each side with angularshoulders tosecure the clamping effect which has been mentioned. Inother words the margins of the apertures through the clamps are notbeveled but are annular, ninety degree shoulders. That part of eachplate which abuts against the corpse must extend at an angle to the axisof the angularly shouldered aperture I! or else the desired grippingeffect of the plate upon the rod will not be secured.

The rod 13 is supported at a sufficient height above the top of thetable Hi to assume pendant positions without contacting with or marringthe top of the table.

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only and that this invention includes all modificationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the subject matterclaimed.

What is claimed is: I

1. In a device of the kind described a rod, means to mount said rod in ahorizontally extending position upon a morticians table in an upwardlyspaced relation to the top thereof, and a pair of clamp members mountedupon said rod and adjustable therealong at different distances from eachother, said clamp members consisting of elongated plates'which havelongitudinally concave faces, the concave face of one of said platesbeing directed toward that of the other, said plates each having throughone end portion thereof an angularly shouldered aperture of a greatersize than the diameter of the rod to allow the mounted plates to have atilting movement and gripping action in relation to the rod, whereby togrip between them the limbs of a corpse when drawn sufficiently neareach other.

2. In a device of the kind described a rod, means to mount said rod in ahorizontally extending position upon a morticians table in an upwardlyspaced relation to the top thereof, and a pair of clamp members mountedupon said rod and adjustable therealong at difierent distances from eachother, said clamp members being positionable in an upwardly extendingrelation to said rod, whereby to grip between them the limbs of a corpsewhen said clamps are drawn sufflciently near each other, said clampmembers consisting of elongated members having concaved sides which aredirected toward each other, said rod being of a cylindrical characterand said clamp members each having a circular aperture through whichsaid rod extends, such aperture being of a considerably greater diameterthan the diameter ofthe rod. a e

OLIN E. DAVIS.

